Oh man, that's cool. Thanks for the reply! Now to decide if it's worth importing or waiting for the Funimation release described above (which sounds like they're just releasing the Japanese version here in limited fashion -- Kenshin / Time of Eve-style -- while they work on the English dub).
I'm pleased to report that this is a fairly good OVA. I imagine the animation studio behind the work, Production I.G., are pleased too. I'll briefly explain a little bit about why this title is important to them before getting on to my review:
Franchise History
As I am sure many of you are already aware, Ghost in the Shell is a very popular and well known franchise which originated from a 1989 manga by Masamune Shirow. It follows the exploits of Major Motoko Kusanagai, a cyborg special operative within 'Section 9', a counter-cyberterrorist organisation. In 1995 Mamoru Oshii adapted the manga into a film produced by Production I.G. which, along with Akira, became one of the few anime movies to be hugely popular outside of Japan. Oshii followed it up in 2004 was a sequel which didn't achieve the same level of critical of commercial success.
Production I.G. also produced two television series in a different continuity to the movies which were both directed by Kenji Kamiyama (who more recently directed Eden of the East). These were also critically acclaimed and very successful outside of Japan. These shows were followed by an OVA, however, since 2006 the series has basically laid dormant.
Considering that Ghost in the Shell is one of the few properties with guaranteed western appeal that Production I.G. (or any other studio, for that matter) has in their stable it's not surprising that they have decided to revisit it once again. There's a lot of money riding on this series because Production I.G. must be banking on the fact that it still has that same appeal. It's not the kind of thing that they should be half-assing.
I must admit that I was very sceptical about this project after examining the initial materials and reflection upon Production I.G.'s recent track record of works shows Guilty Crown and Pyscho Pass. I was especially concerned after reading that we'd be having yet another take on the material and that the Arise OVA's would serve as a prequel to the traditional story. It didn't seem like a prequel was really necessary, rather it felt like they had simply used up all the other angles to explore. I'm glad that I was wrong.
Synopsis
Ghost Pain follows the exploits of a young Motoko Kusanagai who is attempting to track down details surrounding the suspicious murder of one of her superior officers. Along the way there's lots of twists and turns as she encounters Aramaki of Section 9, familiar faces, dreadlock wielding cybrogs and robots in the guise of cute girls who have a tendency to explode. Actually going into further details of the plot would involve revealing the twists that occur and I'd have to work out what actually took place. Briefly I will say that
it was pretty obvious that Kusanagai's commander was involved in nefarious activities from the beginning because that's just the kind of story this is. Also, she wears clothes and anyone who wears gloves MUST have something to hide.
The story was obviously constructed in a manner which ensured that the people that we, as Ghost in the Shell veterans, would be familiar with but that didn't really bother me. It was nice to see the gang again.
[Nerd rant]As an avid Ghost in the Shell fan I must say that a lot of problems in this episode could have been avoided if people had just worn a barrier like you're supposed too before you connect to someone's cyberbrain. You really shouldn't just jack in through your open port, that's like suffering the internet without a firewall.[/nerd rant].
Review
The Arise series is directed by veteran animator Kazuchika Kise who has worked on a huge number of titles in his time but he really doesn't have much experience as a director. As I'm not familiar with his style I can't really speak to any particular touches that might be part of his work. Regardless, this episode was actually directed and storyboarded by a different person altogether, Masahiko Murata. He doesn't have a particularly esteemed career and while I have watched a few works directed by him they didn't really leave an impression on me. However, this episode was very competently directed - solid and sensible. That might not sound like praise but after watching the trailer they put out for this earlier I was expecting something quite bad. It certainly exceeded my expectations but it failed to wow or surprise me.
The cinematography was sound, but unexciting for the most part. There were a few nice scenes and exciting shots but for the most part the camera didn't draw attention to itself ,which is about part for the course, the earlier TV series couldn't have been accused of being overly stylish. The only time that the camerawork stopped being pedestrian was for the numerous action sequences which occurred throughout the episode. These were all well shot, well choreographed and well animated making them exciting to watch:
It's been a while since I've seen something where every fight scene was well directed and well animated and I imagine part of that approach probably comes from the director being such a seasoned animator himself. Still, it's worth remembering that once upon a time Production I.G. TV produced shows which looked as good as this OVA.
My only real gripe was with the editing and this isn't even that big of a deal. For the most part the editing is completely fine but on a couple of occasions it felt like the scenes where too short and that it would have been letter to let the camera linger on in those specific shots to let the audience soak in the relevant information.
In terms of the look of the show I think Arise suffers from a number of problems that have plagued Production I.G. recently. By this I mean the lighting:
the colours, the composite and the character designs which I really don't like:
]
I'm not too thrilled by the new voice caster either but I guess that original cast is pretty expensive!
The quality of the background art varies wildly both in terms of the layout and the detail/colour work. Sometimes it looks great:
other times it appears that it's a complete afterthought:
It holds up pretty well for the most part though.
I was very pleased be the quality of the writing. While they've clearly moved away from the complexities of the TV shows which were themselves far less philosophical and meditative than the original movies. This is a thriller set in a future where people happen to be cyborgs rather than a meditation on the nature of the self in the digital age. I'm not complaining, mind you, they've shifted the nature of the series to work for them. That's the tone they've shifted too and they've executed upon it well. The plot is fairly complicated but it's not stupid or illogical, the characters aren't idiots and everything movies at a good clip with interesting scenes coming about at a regular speed. It remains to be scene how much work will be done to flesh out these characters or whether it'll be kept to a minimum with the focus being on the plot itself.
As you might expect there were numerous call backs to earlier works including the helicopter scene and the bit where
she manages to lose her arm
but at least it's not drowning in references, thankfully.
One thing which I did find a little amusing was how often Motoko ended up taking off her clothes for no reason at all. I guess a little shameless fanservice isn't the end of the world but it did feel very forced:
Also, when did Motoko become Priss from Bubblegum Crisis?:
Does this mean that her motorcycle can transform into a robot suit? (please make this happen)
So, all in all, this a solid first entry in the Arise series of OVA's. It's not going to set anyone's world on fire but it's leagues better than something like PsychoPass and I'd happily recommend it to anyone with an interest in Gits, or science fiction/action anime in general.
Watched it the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Product placement wasn't as distracting as I thought it would be (not as blatantly obnoxious as that Surface advert anyway). Time length was perfect. Story grabbed my attention and the animation was pretty sweet. Can't wait for the DVD/Blu-ray release with english dub (hope they bring back the original cast) so I can add it to the collection.
Quick impressions;
Average. Watchable. Needlessly replaced original voice actors, also brat Major is just not fun. Character designs are terrible. Soundtrack was forgettable without Yoko Kanno or Kenji Kawai. Story felt like what you would expect from GITS, I'll give it that much. I won't be watching the rest but I'll keep a close eye on the reception.
Watched it. Completely unimpressed. Addressing why would require I watch it again, which I don't feel like doing right now, but most of it had to do with Motoko's portrayal. See: Needless longform pantsu, which I wouldn't have minded if she had some kind of muscle definition, but for the majority of the film she seemed to have no mass. She's flat tubes of waif. In SAC, she has flesh, and she knows how to use it. She was always shown to be in complete control of her body, and it was always a joy to watch her and the other cyborgs move/fight.
In this movie, they choose to rehash an iconic scene from the original film in an anti-climactic fight scene, and choose this moment to suddenly give her mass, and it is visually jarring. It was like the animation style and established "rules" of body form completely changed just for this scene.
I also found the "plot" incredibly difficult to follow, which I sometimes don't mind if it encourages additional viewings and reveals interesting layers, but I'm just not seeing that here. Action was bland and unsatisfying and the actions of some of the characters retarded. Moments of idiotic writing.
Music was bland, though interestingly atmospheric in its own way. Yoko Kanno is sorely missed, in this case.
Did IG take a budget hit, or something? Damn.
On a personal note, I am very displeased about the redesign of my husbando, Saito. Baby, what did they do to yooooou?!
And, I should add, it's just the Japanese import (at a way better price than importing it from Japan). So, yay. 2400 copies, no refunds according to RS.
See: Needless longform pantsu, which I wouldn't have minded if she had some kind of muscle definition, but for the majority of the film she seemed to have no mass. She's flat tubes of waifu.
Watched it. Completely unimpressed. Addressing why would require I watch it again, which I don't feel like doing right now, but most of it had to do with Motoko's portrayal. See: Needless longform pantsu, which I wouldn't have minded if she had some kind of muscle definition, but for the majority of the film she seemed to have no mass. She's flat tubes of waif. In SAC, she has flesh, and she knows how to use it. She was always shown to be in complete control of her body, and it was always a joy to watch her and the other cyborgs move/fight.
I don't get it - the Major's build is a lot more slight in this OVA so it makes sense that there wouldn't be any muscle definition. It's not as if they spend money on animating muscles while doing fancy acrobatics, it's saved for scenes of significance. I would actually consider it more realistic - cyborgs are built powerfully enough that any muscles would be purely cosmetic - at least until they fail.
As to the music, Cornelius is awesome. Suits the overall aesthetic extremely well, clean and crisp. Difference of opinion and all that, but I think IG was going for a 'lighter' feel (is that even the correct term?) and they did a good job of it.
I wish they would stop rehashing the old shit (we gotta show helicopters at the beginning and major jumping off a building backward, fighting a tank barehanded etc) and do something new with it.
And, I should add, it's just the Japanese import (at a way better price than importing it from Japan). So, yay. 2400 copies, no refunds according to RS.
If anyone was curious, got the "US" Funimation release today. It's the Japanese version, as predicted/expected. Can't beat the price, though! Seems to still be available if anyone's interested. Can't vouch for the quality of the content just yet, but there ya go.
If anyone was curious, got the "US" Funimation release today. It's the Japanese version, as predicted/expected. Can't beat the price, though! Seems to still be available if anyone's interested. Can't vouch for the quality of the content just yet, but there ya go.
Good to know, possibly something to leave on as I wage my neighbor war!
To amend my previous post, it looks like it's more than just the Japanese import as the booklet is entirely in English and lists Funimation in the fine print on the back. So they possibly did something, though I don't have a Japanese edition to compare.
If anyone was curious, got the "US" Funimation release today. It's the Japanese version, as predicted/expected. Can't beat the price, though! Seems to still be available if anyone's interested. Can't vouch for the quality of the content just yet, but there ya go.
No one has posted this? Preview for border:2. Looks great. Some serious business background art in their, too. Weird though, at the premiere for border:1 at Anime-Expo, the producer said the second episode would be about Tachikomas. None to speak of in this trailer, though.
I wasn't really impressed, so I never bothered to bump the thread. I can't even be assed to find the impressions I posted about it in the Anime thread. Coming off the first chapter, the second was just unremarkable in every way possible. Felt like a totally generic underachieving Hollywood action movie like something Joel Schumacher might make. The premise was uninteresting, there was no character development whatsoever, and the entire thing felt like an excuse to put the GitS characters together in some lame situation just to force the Major to meet more of them so she can form her team.
Arise 1 = Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Arise 2 = Die Hard 4.0
Fans will be able to see Ghost in the Shell: Arise Borders 1 & 2 on the big screen on May 29th via Tugg.com! Just take a look below at the list of theaters, plus a link to buy tickets. We need a minimum number of attendees for each screening to make them happen, so please spread the word and get your friends and family to go.
In addition, the first 50 people who purchase tickets online will receive a limited edition Ghost in the Shell: Arise poster! Fans can pick up their posters with a valid photo i.d. at the theater the night of the screening.
synopsis:
In this highly anticipated prequel set in the year after the fourth World War, cyborg and hacker Motoko Kusanagi finds herself wrapped up in the investigation of a devastating bombing. But shes not the only one looking for answersas she delves deeper into the mystery of who is behind the attack, a specialized team unlike any before begins to take shape.
New York, NY AMC Loews Village 7
Atlanta, GA AMC Parkway Pointe 15
Cambridge, MA Landmark Kendall Square Cinema
Baltimore, MD AMC Security Square 8
Alexandria, VA AMC Hoffman Center 22 & IMAX
Columbus, OH AMC Lennox Town Center 24 & IMAX
Southfield, MI AMC Star Southfield 20
Dallas, TX Studio Movie Grill Spring Valley
Chicago, IL Kerasotes ShowPLace ICON at Roosevelt Collection
San Antonio, TX Cinemark Movies 16
Denver, CO AMC Cherry Creek 8
San Francisco, CA AMC Van Ness 14
Seattle, WA AMC Loews Oak Tree 6
San Diego, CA AMC Mission Valley 20
Santa Monica, CA AMC Loews Broadway 4
I think we were receiving Cyberpunk 2077 details, System Shock 2 remaster came out, there might of been Bladerunner 2 musings threads going on, Dredd, some other kickstarters or something. Probably a bunch more amazing things that are now lost in time.
